Stringed instrument

Abstract

A stringed instrument, such as a guitar, has a finger-board, a headstock located at one end of the finger-board, and a plurality of machine-heads mounted on the finger-board for adjusting the tension of the strings. Each machine-head has a rotatable winding peg for winding a respective string to be adjusted, and a rotatable adjusting handle coupled to the winding peg for rotating the peg. The axis of rotation of the adjusting handle is inclined rearwardly relative to the plane of the finger-board and is non-parallel to the axis of rotation of the winding peg. In addition, the axis of rotation of the adjusting handle is inclined at an acute angle relative to a perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the instrument and generally toward the opposite end of the instrument, in order to facilitate the ability of a person playing the instrument to locate and adjust each machine-head.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A stringed instrument comprising a finger-board including a front face defined at least in part by a first plane and a plurality of frets thereon, and a plurality of machine-heads, each for adjusting the tension of a string of the instrument, wherein each machine-head includes a rotatable winding peg defining an axis of rotation for winding the string to be adjusted, and a rotatable adjusting handle coupled to the winding peg and defining an axis of rotation for rotating the handle, and wherein the axis of rotation of the adjusting handle is substantially located within both a second plane inclined rearwardly at an acute angle relative to the first plane of the finger-board and a third plane orthogonal to the first plane of the finger-board, and wherein the third plane intersects the first plane along a line non-parallel to a longitudinal axis of the finger-board. 
     
     
       2. A stringed instrument as defined in claim 1, further comprising a headstock located at one end of the finger-board, wherein at least one of said plurality of machine-heads is mounted within a hole formed in the headstock and defining an axis located within a plane oriented at an acute angle relative to a normal to the first plane of the finger-board. 
     
     
       3. A stringed instrument as defined in claim 1, further comprising a headstock located at one end of the finger-board, wherein at least one of said plurality of machine-heads is mounted on a surface of the headstock formed approximately within a plane inclined rearwardly at an acute angle relative to the first plane of the finger-board. 
     
     
       4. A stringed instrument as defined in claim 4, wherein the mounting surface of the headstock is inclined about a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the finger-board. 
     
     
       5. A stringed instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of an adjusting handle is oriented at an angle of between 90° and 180° relative to the axis of rotation of the corresponding winding peg. 
     
     
       6. A stringed instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of the adjusting handle is inclined at an angle of approximately 30° relative to a perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the finger-board. 
     
     
       7. A stringed instrument as defined in claim 1, further comprising a headstock located at one end of the finger-board and the plurality of machine-heads mounted on opposite sides of the headstock relative to each other, wherein each machine-head is mounted on a respective surface of the headstock formed approximately within a plane inclined rearwardly at an acute angle relative to the first plane of the finger-board. 
     
     
       8. A stringed instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of at least one adjusting handle is inclined at an acute angle relative to a perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the finger-board and generally toward an opposite end of the instrument. 
     
     
       9. A stringed instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of the adjusting handle is non-perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the winding peg and is inclined rearwardly relative to the first plane of the finger-board. 
     
     
       10. A stringed instrument as defined in claim 9, wherein said plurality of machine heads are spaced relative to each other along a line extending adjacent to at least one side edge of the fingerboard. 
     
     
       11. A stringed instrument as defined in claim 9, wherein the axis of rotation of the adjusting handle is non-perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the winding peg.